A Word From Our Founder, Daryl Summerford

 My wife, Jan and I founded Zacchaeus Ministries because we feel an undeniable calling to help men suffering under the weight of substance abuse and the consequences that go along with it.  The challenges of substance abuse are not limited to just the men actively in the grip of those substances.  More often than not, the family and friends, of these men, are compelled to endure awful financial, legal and emotional upheaval.  This leads to strained, and even broken relationships leaving these men alienated from the only people that really care for them.
 

I understand the hopelessness, fear and frustration that comes from living under the awful cloud of active substance abuse because, at one time, I too found myself actively using and addicted to mind altering substances. Thankfully, I found some wonderful people who helped me discover that regardless of how hard I tried, or how badly I wanted to be clean, I simply could not do it alone.  I needed relationships. Healthy relationships with my family, with my friends and, most importantly with the Lord Jesus Christ.  Today I have twenty plus years of living a drug free life. A life that is fulfilling and has purpose because of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When I say a personal relationship, I don’t mean a religious experience. I'm talking about an experience with a real person, the Lord Jesus Christ.
 

The old adage “No man is an Island,” most certainly rings true based upon my experience. Nearly every challenge we face comes back to relationships.  If we don't have healthy relationships with the self, family and especially God, we become lost and afraid. We are drawn into a destructive self seeking way of living that leaves us empty and alone.  So the way that we find not just sobriety but serenity and meaning, in our lives is relationships.
 

I had always felt deep inside that I needed to rely on God, but I just didn’t know how to do it.  I went to a place that taught me how to do that. I was taught how to have relationships with others, how to allow other men to hold me accountable and to take responsibility for my own actions. After being given this gift I was trained to help others and worked on staff.  Now, I am committed to continuing that work as part of Zacchaeus Ministries.